Electric glow discharge tube



June 13, 1933. G. SEIBT 1 1,914,045

I ELECTRIC GLOW DISCHARGE TUBE Filed March 12, 1951 6 Se} bi Ml van/Tl R Patented June 13, I I

PATENTfoF icE GEORG SEILBT, or BERLIN-SCHONEBERG, GERMANY ELECTRIC GLOW DISC ARGE TUBE Applicationfiied March '12, 1981, Serial No. 522,122, and in Germany April 2, 1930.

This invention relates to a glow discharge tube which may be used for the amplification. rectification or production of electric oscillations.

According to a construction known per se such tubes are provided with a system of.

the amplification current. I have previous-' ly proposed in an earlier application to contube in the form of a plate in such a way that the straight line connections between the cathode and the controlling electrode and the second anode are interrupted. This enables the detrimental grid currents to be 0 greatly reduced. The amplification current which flows to the second anode is then constituted mainly by the electrons which are in the proximity of the edge or edges of the first anode.

The present application relates to an improvement on the construction last referred to. According to the invention an intermediate wall is provided between the glow discharge cathode and the glow discharge anode associated therewith, which intermediate wall causes the glow discharge between the cathode and the first anode to be 0on centrated mainly at the edges of the first anode, whilst the middle parts of the anode which do not come into question for the formation of the amplification current are not impinged upon by parts of the glow discharge.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically an arrangement of electrodes such as hitherto proposed. Figure 2 is an illustration of the same system of electrodes which is, however, provided with an intermediate wall accordstruct the glow discharge anode of such a ing' to the present invention and Figure 3 is a cross section through a complete tube in which the electrodes are arranged concentrically and the discharge electrodes and the intermediate walls are subdivided in a number of individual parts.

Figure 2. This wall prevents the direct.

passage of current between and a and compels the electrons to move more towards the edges of a wherefrom they can be drawn more easily by a through the grid g.

Figure 3 illustrates a cross section of a complete tube t in which four pairs of cathodes and discharge anodes are employed. The discharge anodes a are folded over along the longitudinal edge, small mica plates 6 being inserted into and held by the folds.

Instead'of using insulating material for the screening Walls, metal may be used, in which case, however, care must'be taken that the metal walls should be completely insulated from the other electrodes. The metal walls as well as the surfaces of the insulating walls are negatively charged, whereby it is prevented that after charging electrons should pass over to them. If the screening walls 6, according to Figure 3, or '21) according to Figure 2, are made of metal,

they can be led out conductively from the glass foot of the discharge tube and a definite potential can be imparted to them. By

suitably choosing the potential, the value of the glow discharge current and consequently of the amplification current which passes over to a can be controlled and regulated. If, for instance, the metallic walls 72. according to Figure 3 or w according to Figure 2 receive the same potential as the discharge anodes a this is equivalent to the ease in which no intermediate walls are provided. However, if the intermediate walls receive a potential which is negative with respect to a a screening effect is obtained, which screening effect can be controlled by a regulation of the potential as is desired in each individual case.

What I claim is 2-- 1. A glow discharge tube for the amplification, rectification or production of electric oscillations comprising a discharge cathode and a discharge anode serving as a source of electrons for a current passing to a second. anode, a controlling electrode for modulating the said current and an intermediate wall between said cathode and said discharge anode, whereby the discharge between said cathode and said discharge anode is caused to be concentrated near the edges of said discharge anode.

2. A glow discharge tube for the amplification, rectification or production of electric oscillations comprising a discharge cathode and a discharge anode serving as a source of electrons for a current passing to a second anode, a controlling electrode for modulatin g the said current and an intermediate wall of insulating material between said cathode and said discharge anode, whereby the discharge between said cathode and said discharge anode is caused to be concentrated near the edges of said discharge anode.

3. A glow discharge tube for the amplification, rectification or production of electric oscillations comprising a discharge cathode and a discharge anode serving as a source of electrons for a current passing to a second anode, a controlling electrode for modulate ing the said current and an intermediate wall of insulating material between said cathode and'said discharge anode whereby the discharge between said cathode and said discharge anode is caused to be concentrated near the edges of said discharge anode, the said intermediate wall being made of mica.

4. A glow discharge tube for the amplification, rectification or production of electric oscillations comprising a discharge cathode and a discharge anode serving as a source of electrons for a current passing to a second anode, a controlling electrode for modulating the said current and an intermediate wall of insulating material between said cathode and said discharge anode whereby the discharge between said cathode and said discharge anode is caused to be concentrated near the edges of said discharge anode, the said intermediate wall being made of mica and the said discharge anode being folded over along the edges, the intermediate wall being held within the folds thus formed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORG SEIBT. 

